With fears of gang activity on the rise again in Birmingham, West Midlands Police have set up a £2 million fund to support the battle the scourge of gang violence.

Now they need the help of communities to put their plan into action. In this joint article West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David JamiesonandBishop Derek Webley , chairman of the Birmingham Commission on Gangs and Violence explain the type of people they are looking for.

We have known for some time there is a growing problem of gangs and violence in Birmingham.

The number of incidents involving a gun rose by a quarter between 2012 and 2016. Knife crime figures make for even worse reading. They’ve risen 46 per cent over the same four year period.

That’s why in 2016 we founded the Commission, made up of academics, community leaders and statutory partners, to study the violence in our communities. It was their job to get under the skin of the issue.

Bishop Derek Webley and Commissioner David Jamieson

The ‘Commission on Gangs and Violence’ was asked to find out what was causing the spike in crime and what could be done to tackle it. In December 2017 they reported back to with their findings.

Their conclusions were wide ranging and comprehensive. Causes of violent crime included a high level of school exclusions, a lack of support for offenders re-entering the community after leaving prison and a prevalence of drugs.

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Our response has been to announce a £2 million investment to help tackle the problem. The money is to be spent responding to the 24 recommendations in the report, which includes specialist negotiators to broker peace between gangs; hiring experts to work in A&E departments to spot violent criminals or their victims; and intervening in schools to prevent young people choosing the wrong path.

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But there are no quick fixes. We can’t arrest our way out of the problem. The police cannot do all the work alone. It is about all of us working together. Most of all it is about working with communities and helping them to keep control of their streets.

That’s why the Commission must continue its good work. It must act as an authority and a driving force to help deliver change. It must scrutinise current projects, look for opportunities for new ones and provide a loud and clear voice on behalf of the community.

Alison Cope, mother of murdered Joshua Ribiera talks at the launch of the commission on gangs and violence report last year (Image: Birmingham Mail)

So ask yourself, do I know what is needed to make the streets near where I live safe? If the answer is ‘yes’ then you could be exactly who we are looking for.

We want knowledgeable, dedicated community members to join us to continue the work, to ensure we deliver what is promised and keep our streets safe. We want people to step forward and be counted.

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You’ll need to be strategic in your thinking and have experience working in relevant areas. Having read the report, ‘Uniting to Improve Safety’, if you have experience, then please contact us.

You must be able to prove you have good community connections, experience and knowledge in this critical area of business, and a network of partnerships and links across voluntary or community organisations.

Perhaps most importantly of all you must be able to come up with solutions to the issues facing all of us today.